polar bear cub aged three months ventured out of mom's arms and on out of the lair for a first time in its tiny life, Boris Topolyansky, St. Petersburg zoo spokesman, proudly announced.

"The little beast made quite a long walk and gobbled up a fish the zoo people treated it to, while the happy mother was having a dip in her swimming pool. Uslada-that's her name-had never had a chance to swim since December's start. Now, the two will have outdoor exercise every day."

The cub has no name for now, and will have one only after experts see whether it is a boy or a girl. "That will be a hard thing to do-the baby will have to be taken from its mother for a few instants, and it is too young for the experience now."

Uslada's and Menshikov's tenth baby came into the world, December 2. Video cameras had been installed in Uslada's lair to monitor her delivery and the mom and babe's later life together. That was a maiden experience at the St. Pete zoo.

More than a hundred white polar bears were born at it since the zoo's opening day. Many of them later moved to other zoos, in and outside Russia.